Healing
by The Doctor 2010
Summary: After finally having too much to deal with after his mother learns of the curse while it is locked Ranma is tittering on the edge. A stranger that Happosai seems to know shows up and offers the chance of the lifetime, a journey that may heal more than 1.


Healing

Author's Notes: My shoulder and arm is feeling better but it is still hard to write so I'm going to go ahead and release this now in place of a second update for Burning Ember this week. I'm still going to try to get a second update out for Burning Ember as my pain killers are freaking awesome! I was originally planning on writing each place visited in one chapter but instead I think I will be splitting them up into two or three chapters.

Ranma and Happosai may seem a little OOC but after all the shit Ranma has been through I can se this possibly happening in some of the different alternate timelines out there. As for Happosai, I have reasons for him being OOC and they are the same that will drive him in about all of my stories such as Burning Ember though I may write one or two with Happosai in a different light. One thing I will say now is that I don't believe Happosai is truly evil and I also don't believe he spent twenty years in a cave with no rational was to eat or drink. Even if he used his ki it would eventually run out and without proper nourishment I doubt it could recharge again and again over twenty years.

This is an alternate universe, as most of my stories will likely be in the future. The reason I won't be putting this in the cross over section is because some of the places Ranma and the Doctor journey to will be different anime timelines such as Mega Tokyo among others. I haven't decided but I may even have them visit Crystal Tokyo or the Silver Millennia at their peak at some time.

Personally I don't even really like how the cross over section is set up. It has a good base for it but the story should not only show up in the cross over section but there should be filters in the two different sections that allow listings for the cross over stories to show up. It doesn't need two, three or even four of the same stories stored just links to the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma or the best thing to ever come off the BBC. While David Tennant is the best Doctor ever and will be the one in this story the new Doctor is doing really well taking his place. Still, all of David's fans will miss him as the Doctor but wish Matt Smith the best in filling a pair of great shoes.

Now The Story:

The kettle was destroyed and with it any hope at a normal life and now all Ranma could do was sit atop the dojo the night she finally made it back from the brutal battle with Herb that not only toppled a mountain but started the dominos falling. The entire trip home was full of false concern from her two rivals as she heard them talking while they camped and Ryoga and Mousse was laughing at the redhead's plight gloating that with Ranma stuck as a girl Shampoo and Akane were free to jump into their arms.

"As if." Ranma sighed looking up at the night sky seeing what looked like a bluish looking shooting star. Something about it was off but truthfully she just didn't care at he moment. While Shampoo probably wouldn't be too upset as the Amazons probably had some trick or another up their sleeves it was the way that Akane reacted when she found out. The girl almost seemed relieved that Ranma was unable to lock the curse as the redhead was sure the other girl was hiding a smirk at the news.

If the weird way that Akane was acting wasn't enough her father was freaking out because apparently Ranma's mother decided to visit while Rama was off trying to get her cure. That in itself wasn't so bad but the woman spilling hot tea on Ranma's pandafied father and turning the bear back into Genma had been a huge shock on the elder Saotome woman. Pissed off as anyone can be the woman stormed out promising to be back as soon as Ranma returned and since Nabiki was paid to the Tendo girl called the Saotome matriarch as soon the red haired teen returned to the dojo. Now Nodoka was expected to come over tomorrow and both Genma and Ranma knew why. Thanks to the damned contract this was most likely Genma and Ranma's last night on earth.

"It isn't fair." Ranma sighed softly refusing to let the threatening tears fall as she intended to spend her last night on earth being as many as she could be, body not withstanding. No, she had been taught to ignore emotional pain and never cry by her father and no mater what she was going to prove, at least to herself, that Ranma Saotome was a man until the very end.

"What isn't fair my boy?" Happosai asked as he landed just behind the red haired girl while carrying a bulging sack of women's undergarments that was probably just stolen. In a way Ranma was almost surprised that the old fart wasn't trying to get her to try on one piece of lingerie or another.

"Just go away you old freak." Ranma huffed but didn't move beyond that. A part of her wanted to just play pound the pervert but fighting just didn't seem important to her anymore. She failed on that mountain to win the most important fight of her life and with the end not even twenty-four hours away why should she even bother anymore. At that moment she realized that for once in her life nothing truly seemed to matter anymore. As that realization dawned on her she realized that it didn't even mater if she was a guy or girl anymore as she would be dead by this time tomorrow and the kicker was that it would be by her own mother.

"Ranma...If you need to talk..." Happosai began, his voice soft and a little unsure as he crept closer to the teen before him.

"Talk about what? That I failed...I'm a failure and tomorrow night I will finally get my reward for it." Ranma said, her voice thick with negative emotions as anyone who could see auras could tell that right now not even Ryoga's aura of depression at its worse could match the girl before the aged martial artist.

Happosai was about to answer when a loud explosion could both be hear as well as seen not far from the dojo. He was about to leap off to see what was going on when he noticed that Ranma was just sitting there staring off into space. There was so much pain in those eyes that it even moved Happosai's shriveled old heart. He had to get Ranma out of her funk and the best way he knew how was to get Ranma to come with him and see what was happening.

"Ranma, come on, we need to see what's going on." Happosai urged, "There may be silky darlings in trouble."

"Just go away freak." Ranma said, her voice turning even deader as she sunk even deeper into her depression.

"Ranma, get up now and come on!" Happosai snapped, his tone a little harsher than he meant. "People might be in trouble."

"Fine." Ranma said as she climbed slowly to her feet, the fire of her spirit clearly gone. Happosai was glad that she was coming as he hoped that whatever was going on could help get the redhead's mind off of whatever was going on. For once Happosai wished he didn't go on one of his longer trips to liberate his silky darlings as something big must have happened while he was gone and he was clueless as to what.

Ranma was a little pissed as she hoped after the shrunken martial artist as Happosai bounded from rooftop to rooftop. She just wanted to have a little peace on her last night, was that so much to ask? Now Happosai was dragging her who know where to probably fight some angry mob of women who was just making more racket than usual as they hunted Happosai down for vengeance. After all if wouldn't be the first time Happosai tricked Ranma into taking the fall for him. That thought almost made Ranma stop but a part of her was starting to worry that someone may be hurt and no matter how screwed up her own life was Ranma didn't want to see someone hurt.

As the two dropped down at a small intersection in the business section where most places was closed up Ranma noticed small scorch marks and what looked like bullets scattered all around the place. She was a little worried that it may have been Yakuza since guns were illegal to have in Japan. Whatever happened though may have left someone hurt and Ranma needed to find them and see if they needed help.

"So he's here." Happosai said rubbing his chin using the serious face and tone of voice that either meant hat he was either going to try and pull some crap while acting all knowledgeable. Worse though, if Happosai was really serious they may be in deep crap and that was something Ranma did not want to deal with.

"Who is here?" Ranma asked looking at he aged grandmaster and for the first time noticed the strange blue booth looking thing. It had English characters on it that said, "Police Box." The thing was not there earlier that day as Ranma passed through this section of town to get back to the dojo.

"What the hell is that and who are you talking about?" Ranma asked crossing her arms.

"That thing is not important now but if who I'm thinking about is here then something is most likely seriously wrong." Happosai said scanning the area in deep concentration.

"So this guy is here to cause trouble?" Ranma asked cracking her knuckles a bit as her depression started taking a back seat to the fact that Happosai truly seemed worried and if something truly worried him then the shit was sure to hit the fan real soon.

"No, usually he helps get rid of the trouble." Happosai sighed, "But he is a lot like you, he attracts a lot of trouble everywhere he goes. He doesn't go out of his way to find it but it always finds him."

"Great, more trouble." Ranma sighed running a hand through her hair as some of her depression threatened to return. She didn't need this right now, she just wanted to spend what was most probably the last night of her life in peace. There was so much she wanted to do and she was never going to get a chance because she was too weak to get her cure and with no cure she couldn't be a man among men.

"Ranma, whatever is wrong I really want to help you but right now you need to snap out of it." Happosai said, his voice growing sterner by the second.

"And how do you want to help me, get me in a nice set of bra and panties you leech?" Ranma snarled.

"As good as that sounds Ranma, no that isn't what I want." Happosai said as he came to a decision. What ever was bothering Ranma was serious, anyone could see that, and Happosai decided that maybe it was time to tell the girl some things. "I know I've done a lot and caused a lot of trouble but it doesn't mean I don't care about you."

"Yeah right old man." Ranma huffed as she crossed her arms, "Which way do we go?"

"Ranma...Fine, take a look around and tell me if you see something out of place." Happosai said as he sighed in frustration. Whatever was happening here if it required one of the only men that was older than Happosai then something extremely serious was going down. He would take care of Ranma when this was over but depending on the severity of the situation there may not be a latter if whatever was going on wasn't stopped.

"There, more scorch marks." Ranma said as she moved to investigate the trail of what appeared to be bullet holes and scorch marks trailing off in one direction. She had to admit that he way Happosai was acting was really starting to worry her as time went one. The old fart hasn't tried to grope her once yet for Happosai that was beyond normal.

"Good, lets go my boy." Happosai said hopping up to a roof to go in the general direction that the trail was heading in with Ranma hot on his trail. It didn't take long for them to travel several blocks away where they stopped on a rooftop too look down and see five people dressed in Santa outfits and carrying instruments looking around.

"What the hell, Christmas is months away." Ranma grumbled staring down at the group of people who seemed to be hunting for someone.

"I don't think they are normal people." Happosai grumbled, "Look closer, they don't have an aura."

Ranma couldn't stop from gasping when she concentrated on the searching group. They had no aura at all which meant that they were dead or something else that she wasn't sure about. What could move and look like a person but not give off an aura? Zombies?

"What he hell?" Ranma gasped a little louder than she intended drawing the groups attention. The group of things turned at one leveling their instruments at hem in a jerky motion.

"Ranma...These things are NOT alive." Happosai said in a deathly cold and serious voice.

"So?" Ranma asked as the things made a cocking motion as if they were holding weapons.

"Don't play with them. Take them down very hard and very fast or someone is going to get hurt.

"What are you babbling about old man?" Ranma grumbled leveling a glare at the old man as he vanished. Ranma was looking at an after image. A whistling noise drew the redhead's attention back towards the group to se a small rocket heading her way. Jumping at he last moment she was able to avoid the brunt of the small explosion but it still hurt as it propelled her forward into the group where two of them was shooting machine guns disguised as trumpets at Happosai who was easily dodging the creatures slow and jerky movements.

"Ranma, stop playing!" Happosai said finally poking one of the things in the chest with his pipe only to se it explode in a shower of sparks and mechanical parts.

Finally shaking off the sure realness of the whole situation and slipping farther away from her depression Ranma's mind slipped back into auto pilot as it analyzed the things movements and ran dozens of possible scenarios in her mind all in a span of two seconds. As one of them raised it's instrument Ranma spun around on her heel dodging a rocket from the tuba. Using the cyntripical force of her spin she launched a spinning kick taking off the attacking thing's head as the dodged rocket hit another taking it out.

"Great job Ranma my boy!" Happosai called out causing her to fall back into the funk a bit as the diminutive martial artist threw one of his own bombs at he last remaining thing blowing it up as well as tying up the score.

"Whatever." Ranma sighed, "What were those things?"

"Maybe I can answer that." A new voice said drawing the two's attention. A man was standing there holding a small metal cylinder almost the size of a permanent marker with a blue light humming on the end. He was wearing a blue pin stripped suit, a pair of runners and a brown trench coat. He was, Ranma couldn't help admitting, one of the most handsome looking guys she ever saw. Well, besides her own male form anyway.

"Doctor." Happosai said bowing his head just the smallest fraction to the man. "Meet my one and only true heir to the Anything Goes."

"Happosai? Wow, you're old." The man Happosai called Doctor said with a cheeky smile.

"Not as old as you, Doctor." Happosai said with a glare, "Now do you mind explaining what is going on?"

"Of course." The Doctor said grinning brightly. "I'll be happy to explain as soon as I figure it out.

Ranma had an urge to fall over at the remark and the excited tone of voice it was said in. The aura from the man was blinding so the redhead couldn't use her ability to se auras on him and the fact that she didn't see it a few minutes ago was completely confusing to Ranma. This strange man was like a super nova, there was no way she didn't see this aura until just now. Hell, if Hinako sapped him she probably would never revert back to a child.

"Wow, you always find the cute ones." The Doctor said grinning at Ranma irking the redhead. She didn't know when it happened but she found herself holding the collar of the jacket jerking the man back in forth growling.

"I. AM. A. MAN!" Ranma screamed into the man's face as some of the stress was starting to get to her.

"I know." The Doctor said giving a I know something you don't know look making Ranma even more pissed but she let go and moved away from the Doctor. How the hell could he say that he knew Ranma was a guy and still call her cute with a straight face.

"Now then," The Doctor said fixing his clothes, " I'm tracking a signal that I picked up. It's seems familiar and I was checking it out."

"Your crazy." Ranma said shaking her head, "I've had enough for a lifetime! Pops, Akane, the fiancés, the Amazons, you and now this shit! Just what he hell do you all want from me?"

"Ranma..." Happosai said softly feeling bad as he noticed the tears falling though the redhead didn't seem to notice she was crying.

"My mom's coming tomorrow...All my life I deal with this shit doing what I thought was right trying to fulfill honor for what? To have my mom coming to..." Ranma said shaking a bit. "It isn't fair!"

"Ranma, I'm sorry for all the stuff you've been through but right now we need you." Happosai said, "Please just hold it together a little longer and I promise I will take care of everything."

Ranma was upset, she felt like she was losing it, losing all control. She couldn't trust he old freak no mater how sincere he sounded but he had a point. She felt like she was losing it, she truly did, butt she had to hold it together. If these things were here to hurt innocent people could she really standby and do nothing.

"Let's just get this over so I can go home and rest." Ranma said taking a shuddering deep breath.


End file.
